And now an update, #FixThePlus

As I have said recently, often, and to everybody who will listen, I am writing a book. It is a delightful hobby. One that I recommend with unbridled enthusiasm. The book is coming along better than I had ever hoped. Of course, dreams of fame, fortune and acclaim dance through my days, but harsh reality pushes those aside. And like my blogging it has to be for me.

But, as the novel grows and twists and takes paths it is an exercise of reason and management. It is like a building a model with from a pile of plastic scraps with no directions. There is a general idea of the appearance and the shape, uses and structure are indeterminate, but the form gives hints.

You have to breathe life into characters that have never existed. They need stories beyond the novel to make them whole. You have to tell stories that you don't get to share.

There are locations to be invented, filled with people and things. Shops, restaurants, gas stations, churches. It is your world, and it can be as wonderful, ordinary, or miserable as you please.The world in my novel is evolving, sometimes to match my desires, sometimes all by itself.

If you have ever thought about writing a novel stop thinking, start writing. It is in there trying to get out. You will have a lot of fun, and if you aren't careful you will learn a little something about yourself.